HYDERABAD: People have realised the importance of Outer Ring road to decongest the traffic flow and HUDA is according utmost priority to completing the ORR project in time, HUDA Chairman D. Sudheer Reddy has said.

Speaking to media persons after inspecting the on-going ORR phase-I work on Tuesday, he said while ORR phase-I would give connectivity to Shamshabad airport by December, global tenders would be invited for the 138 km second phase in February.

To commence in May

The work on the 61.8 km ORR phase-II A, from Shamshabad to Pedda Amberpet and Narsingi to Patancheru will commence in May. It is estimated to cost Rs.1,730 crores and will be divided into five packages. "JBIC is willing to fund ORR Phase-II B from Patancheru to Shamirpet. Thus funds are no constraint and by 2009-end work will be in progress on the entire second phase," he said.

He said there was good response from some villagers to the special compensation package announced by the Government for phase-II land losers.

The district Legal Services Authority has set up a special team for awarding compensation to the identified land losers. Similar package would be extended to land losers under phase-I provided the land losers who had taken compensation earlier given by HUDA under protest withdrew their civil court suits.

Hurdle

Referring to the hurdle in the first phase near Chilkur Reserve Forest area, HUDA Vice-Chairman Jayesh Ranjan said while there were guidelines to compensate the reserve forest area acquired, the National Reserve Forest authorities wanted HUDA to construct a boundary wall for the 1,000 acre extent of National Reserve Forest area though the ORR phase-I alignment was passing through Chilkur State Reserve forest area.

Such a demand would cost Rs. 88 crores, which was not feasible for HUDA.

HUDA had already provided alternative land for afforestation in lieu of the land acquired from Chilkur forest area and the required cost.

Besdies, along the 1.5-km stretch of ORR phase-I passing close to reserve forest area, noise barriers would be provided to protect the tranquillity inside the forest as per environment guidelines, he said.

The issue would be represented to the Chief Minister for his intervention, authorities said.

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